“That’s what I always wanted. The delay in the renewal was something out of my hands,” he said. “Thankfully, I am now staying with Al Ahly and that is what I wanted from the start.”

His contract renewal comes after weeks of speculation, with Zamalek chairman Mortada Mansour claiming that the Egypt international was on the verge of joining the White Castle.

The veteran midfielder’s contract extension comes one day after Al Ahly veteran right-back Ahmed Fathi renewed his contract for two more years.

Since joining Al Ahly in 2011, the 32-year-old became a crucial member of his team’s squad. So far, he was able to win four league titles, two CAF Champions League titles, one CAF Confederation Cup, two Egyptian Super Cups, two CAF Super Cups and one Egypt Cup trophy.